Source: TH
Context: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its World Heritage Outlook 4 (2025) report placed Western Ghats, Manas National Park, and Sundarbans National Park under the “Significant Concern” category.
About IUCN Flags Western Ghats, Manas, and Sundarbans as ‘Significant Concern’ Sites:
About the IUCN World Heritage Outlook
- The World Heritage Outlook is a global assessment published every 3–4 years by the IUCN to evaluate the conservation status of natural World Heritage sites.
- It assesses 63 natural sites across Asia under four categories — Good, Good with Some Concerns, Significant Concern, and Critical.
- The 2025 report noted that the share of sites with “significant concern” has risen from 26% (2020) to 30% (2025), highlighting worsening pressures from climate change, tourism, and invasive species.
Indian Sites under Significant Concern:
| Site Name | Location | Key Issues | |
| Western Ghats | Spanning Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu | Loss of evergreen forest (−5%), urbanisation, tourism, infrastructure projects | |
| Manas National Park | Assam (India–Bhutan transboundary park) | Habitat degradation, poaching, flood damage, invasive species | |
| Sundarbans National Park | West Bengal (India–Bangladesh transboundary park) | Climate change, sea-level rise, erosion, and tourism pressure |
Key Observations from IUCN Outlook 2025:
- India’s status: Out of 7 Indian natural World Heritage sites,
- 1 site (Khangchendzonga NP, Sikkim) is rated “Good”,
- 4 sites (Kaziranga, Nanda Devi, Valley of Flowers, Keoladeo, Great Himalayan NP) are “Good with Some Concerns”,
- 3 sites (Western Ghats, Manas, Sundarbans) are under “Significant Concern.”
- Top threats: Climate change replaced hunting as the most widespread threat to Asian sites, followed by tourism and invasive alien species.
- Infrastructure risk: Roads and railways have newly entered the top five threats, causing habitat fragmentation and wildlife mortality.
